4/29/22 A Class Ends. A Mission Begins. My mission is to grow into a tree firm enough to withstand my past and future, strong enough to provide a spot to rest, stable enough to be relied upon, kind enough to extend fruit, and loving enough to fall. I believe my experience has placed me in a position where I can accompany others, but I need to develop my mental and situational security first. I am a daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, and friend. At some point, I will likely become a wife and mother. I do and will regard my family as my priority. I will spend time with my aging family members: make their hobbies my own, call, make memories. I know firsthand the limitations of time and refuse to feel regret later because of neglect now. Having learned from watching my parents that your children’s lives are greater than your own, I will do all I can, now and forever, so that my children become greater than me. I will only marry for real love, and I will work, as I saw my parents work, to cultivate that love each day. This being said, I understand that the full saying is not “blood is thicker than water” but that the “blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” I will value every good person I encounter and do my best to build personal connections and mutual trust because life is the people you meet. I want to pursue justice in all of its forms embarking on a journey of solidarity when possible and service when not. I will remember my own history and that of my family so that I never forget the importance of the individual’s safety, opportunity, and happiness. I will pursue a cleaner, safer approach to resource handling and energy creation in hopes of achieving a sustainable relationship with humanity and the environment. The first step I will take over the next three years to achieve my mission is to confront my grief because if one of my goals is to be able to help others heal, I need to be willing to heal. I refused a therapist when my mom began to go. I went once, sat in silence, and left early. My mom stopped bringing it up, but she did not forget. During the conversation we had together for my Moreau Week Five QQC, when I asked her for a critique, she told me she wished I was not too stubborn to accept help. She said my silence frightens her. I thought I was dealing, that I only needed my family and myself. I know now that I was just repressing. Dr. Eurich, states, “If you ask why, [I think] you’re putting yourself into a victim mentality” (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, there's a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich PhD – Moreau FYE Week Six). She’s right. I never felt better when I tried to be introspective because I tended to interrogate myself with ‘why’ questions. My answers were too mean because I was conscious of not making them too soft. I was trapped in a cycle where I would feel worse as a result of introspection and, not realizing the cause, would try to right myself through introspection. The Moreau Family Center for Career Development States, “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development – Moreau FYE Week Four). This cycle and the subsequent realization of its harm is what convinced me of the importance of therapy. This semester, I joined a group for students like me. In meetings, a licensed therapist who specializes in grief and a faith https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ counselor guided our conversation. They kept our introspection beneficial. I left with answers, resources, support, a sense of belonging, and a lighter heart. Next semester, I will do any meetings or screenings required by St. Liam’s and begin to meet weekly for one-on-one sessions with a therapist. Continuing my efforts to grow my character, my next step in realizing my mission will be to delete all of my social media accounts. In the Moreau Week Eleven curriculum, Dr. Blaschko advises, “We need to ask ourselves whether . . . we might be trapped in the feedback loops characteristic of echo chambers.” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko – Moreau FYE Week Eleven). Social media companies make their money by selling their users. To increase the amount of time users interact, apps tailor their displays to best match the interests the user shows. This causes individuals to become radical in their beliefs, as they are not shown content that opposes their opinions. It is a system that turns neighbors into enemies as people hyper-fixate on the divisions that separate instead of the ties that bind. The Congregation of the Holy Cross states, “Like [all people] we are burdened by the same struggles and beset by the same weaknesses; like [all people] we are made new by the same Lord’s love; like [all people] we hope for a world where justice and love prevail” (“Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” by the Congregation of Holy Cross – Moreau FYE Week Twelve). Catholics believe humanity to be one body as children of God. We are inherently connected. The best way to ensure that your social media usage does not cause you to forget this is to not use media. Therefore, I will delete my accounts in my pursuit of a life that emphasizes kind thought and joint action. In the second week of the Moreau curriculum, students were asked to write about a recent Domer Dozen. I wrote about Nate Alexander, who had graduated and then created a program that shortens the time it takes to transfer organs from the donor to the hospital. He reminded me of the power of a Notre Dame education. Over the next three years, I will pursue my mission by working hard in my classes and doing my best to pursue the opportunities offered by Notre Dame in my free time. I am an environmental engineering major with a minor in energy studies. A secure job gained through a combination of a good transcript and undergraduate research will allow me to pursue environmental justice as well as grant me the financial stability to extend aid to others. As for what specific opportunities I will pursue, I will continue my involvement with the Center for Social Concerns. I have been selected as a leader for next semester’s Appalachian Seminar. I will take advantage of this chance to grow my leadership capabilities and remind myself of my dream to go back after graduation and use my degree to make a real difference for my people. Living so far North, it is easy for me to separate myself from the sadder truths of my home. This experience forces me to confront reality while increasing the optimism with which I regard the situation. As Reifenberg quotes Ophelia Dahl in his “Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ”, “To not be optimistic is just about the most privileged thing you can be . . . if you can be pessimistic, you are basically deciding that there’s no hope for a whole group of people who can’t afford to think that way” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ” by Steve Reifenberg – Moreau FYE Week Nine). If kids way up here can care, I have to believe things can be better. I also plan to sign up for the Act Justly seminar in the Spring, which concerns the historical and modern conflict between race and justice in the South, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit in an effort to confront my privilege and biases. Dr. DiAngelo states, “the first step in fighting white fragility is being willing to tolerate the discomfort associated with an honest appraisal and discussion of our internalized superiority and racial privilege” (“What It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin DiAngelo – Moreau FYE Week Ten). Documentaries and podcasts have their purpose, but there is a discomfort in physical experiences that forces growth. My next step in achieving my mission is to remember that I will die. Living like you will always have tomorrow only leads to regret. By remembering my upcoming death each day, I will become more passionate in my pursuit of my goals, say “I love you” at the end of each phone call, have the courage to take opportunities presented, and hug tightly in parting. To quote Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, “It’s . . . in facing the darkest realities of life that we find light in them” (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham – Moreau FYE Week Three). This mentality does not mean I plan to live in ceaseless movement. Pico Iyer advises his readers, “Don’t just do something. Sit there” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer – Moreau FYE Week One). One aspect of living with an “oncoming bus” mentality is prioritizing your loved ones. I plan to do this by sitting there. When I am home, I will sit as Papau explains his favorite strategies in chess and Mimi her secret to sewing corners. I will sit, after work in the den, leaning against Mom as she watches reruns. I’ll sit in the sun and listen to my sisters argue over the next book for our book club. I’ll sit and stargaze and cloud watch with my friends and remember all that they share. Pope Francis once said, “Each and every one of us can become a bright candle, a reminder that light will overcome darkness, and never the other way around” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis – Moreau FYE Week Seven). In Morea Week Eight, when I had to write my own eulogy, I concluded that I would feel that I succeeded in life if I was described, by any or all, as a bright candle. I put this quote up on my corkboard in my dorm room. At home, I will write it on my whiteboard. The last thing I will do to achieve my mission is to read this quote each day because it is my mission, just in much fewer words. It is a reminder of what is important, a motivator when my too-full plate wobbles. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript